The Johns Hopkins COVID Dashboard for Wednesday, October 28, at 5:24 a.m.:

Worldwide cases: 44,103,094   Worldwide deaths:  1,169,052

U.S. cases: 8,790,206   U.S. deaths:  226,864

According to the Dashboard, the reported worldwide case report increased by 469,536 in the last 24 hours.  Deaths worldwide increased by 7,630.

World leaders are concerned about the spread.  Fox News is reporting that in Russia, Vladimir Putin has ordered a national mask mandate as cases are rising at around 15,000 a day and putting the country’s medical system under a strain.  The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports that all across the European Union there has been “a considerable further increase in COVID-19 infections and the current situation represents a major threat to public health.”

According to the Johns Hopkins Dashboard, the United States has added 79,503 cases in the last 24 hours.  The number of new cases reported daily is down from the previous two days.   In the last day,  the number of reported deaths from  COVID-19 increased by 1,047.

In the past week, the U.S. added around 500,000 cases of COVID-19.   The daily case increase is averaging 70,000 per day, a record.

Statewide, there are 14,709 total cases, with 3,053 active cases.  The Big Island has 1,230 cases, with 342 active.